10 Things I’ve Learned So Far at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference
10 Things I've learned So Far at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference
1. The wine bloggers conference confirms what many bloggers already knew: There is a strong sense of community among bloggers.
2. The good folks at the Secret Sherry Society has convinced me that Fino Sherry is an interesting substitute for the vermouth in a Manhattan and I'll be investigating this idea fully.
3. Downtown Walla Walla is absolutely charming.
4. The European Bloggers Conference will next be in Vienna….VIENNA!! I know this because I tasted through a slew of great Austrian Rieslings and Gruners being poured by Ryan and Gabriella of Catavino, who are organizing the conference. Vienna!! I think they need an American blogger to bring over who can speak to the issue of being both a publicist and a blogger. I'll look around for someone like that.
5. Harry Waugh, the great wine writer and mentor to Wine Blogger Conference Keynote Speaker Steve Heimoff, sired twins in his eighties. The power of wine continues to astound me.
6. The wine blog-reading world and wine blog award judges have come to appreciate the insightful work of Jeff Lefevere at Good Grape as much as I have and bestowed upon him two 2010 American Wine Blog Awards: Best Graphics and Best Business Wine Blog.
7. Passing the Wine Blog Awards to the OpenWine Consortium and Wine Blogger Conference was a good idea. They are clearly in good hands.
8. There are people roaming the wine blogger conference looking to hire the right wine blogger to work for them. The industry is looking at the blogging community as a recruiting ground.
9. My talks with many wine bloggers tell me that many are deterred from larger readership by suspecting their views, ideas and thoughts are unworthy of posting. It's a mistake.
10.Walla Wallans know how to open their doors to wine bloggers
Interesting article!
thank you for sharing your insights Tom – they are constantly moving the industry forward!
#9 is perplexing. why would someone even launch a blog if he thought that his ideas, opinions etc were not worthy of posting and being read? if you don’t have the ego for this blogging business (& i say this with all humbleness)find another game.
Tom,
And a thank you to you for being a champion for online wine writing.
Let the mutual admiration society commence.
Jeff
Thank you for so succinctly summarizing the conference, and I agree, downtown Walla Walla is charming!
Tom, although I’m bummed that we didn’t have an opportunity to catch up, I am elated that you enjoyed the Austrian wines as much as we did. Though I would suggest that there are some equally incredible WA whites that have sincerely opened my eyes to the quality coming out of Pacific NW. And if you, or anyone you know, would be interested in joining us in Europe, pls know that you will be welcomed with open arms. The more voices we get from around the world, the more we can learn from one another – this theory also applies to us trying to entice more Europeans to Virgina next year.
Very Nicely said…Virginia should be as entertaining, educational, and valuable….only with humidity.
I’d sure like to know the people…#8 “…roaming the wine blogging conference looking to hire the right person to work with them.” Or maybe it’s one of the better excuses for making the trek to WW…
Tom,
Great list. I’m really bummed I didn’t get to introduce myself, but I was:
1) preoccupied with my Sunday presentation…it’s an intimidating prospect to instruct/perform for such a great group of bloggers.
2) taking some downtime opportunities to catch up on sleep from the 2-week-prior birth of my first child.
3) caught up in the overwhelming deluge of wine and conviviality.
I think #10 deserves emphasis: WW hit it out of the park. As an east coaster, I am eager/apprehensive to see if C’ville can match the hospitality!
I have visited your links they are interesting. I bookmark your post to again visited. i am also a wine bar owner…